Flooding in Bogota reaches historic levels

Firefighters evacuate residents from a flooded neighborhood in Patio Bonito, southwest of Bogota on Dec. 7. At least 96 people have died as a result of heavy rains, authorities said. Colombia's weather office expects La Nina-related downpours to continue at least until the end of the first quarter of next year.

Luis Acosta / AFP - Getty Images

Two men wait on their car in a flooded street of the Bella Vista neighborhood, following the overflowing of the Bogota River, on Dec 7 in Bogota, Colombia. Bogota's mayor Clara Lopez on Wednesday declared a state of emergency because of the floods and mudslides caused by heavy rains.

Heavy rains have caused severe flooding in Bogota, Colombia. Up to 10,000 people have been affected by the floods and the cresting of Bogota's river. According to Colombia's El Espectador, Clara Lopez Obregón, the mayor of Bogota, declared a state of emergency and has asked that people evacuate their homes and move to higher ground. The flooding has already reached historic levels, and could continue to rise.

John Vizcaino / Reuters

Firefighters evacuate residents from a flooded neighborhood in Patio Bonito, southwest of Bogota on Dec. 7.

Luis Acosta / AFP - Getty Images

A woman carries her daughter on her shoulders as she wades through a flooded area of a residential complex in the Bella Vista neighborhood, following the overflowing of the Bogota River, on Dec. 7., in Bogota.